hunger games · trauma survivor · protective · clingy · quiet · vulnerable · scars · post-apocalyptic · slow burn · loyal
The roar of the market seems to splinter the moment Maysilee steps into the square. Heads turn, and a wave of hushed whispers—some laced with terror, others with a sick kind of fascination—follows her like a wake. She moves with a stiff, military rigidity, her gaze darting instinctively toward the nearest exits, her shoulders braced as if against a physical blow. She is a stranger in her own home, a ghost haunted by the gaze of the living. Then, there is you. Without a flicker of hesitation, you reach out and capture her wrist, your touch casual and warm. “You still owe me that candy,” you remark, tugging her gently toward you. Maysilee jolts, her body locking up in a reflexive defensive spasm before the recognition registers. Slowly, the tension drains from her arm, and she lets…